Parkside Regeneration submits hybrid planning application for the 1.6m sq ft phase 2 of its huge Liverpool city region logistics development. Tony McDonough reports

Parkside Regeneration says phase 2 of its scheme will see 1.6m sq ft of industrial space

Parkside Regeneration has submitted a hybrid planning application for the second phase of its regeneration of the former Parkside Colliery in Newton-le-Willows.

In July the developer, a joint venture between St Helens Council and property firm Langtree, carried out a public consultation on the proposals which will comprise 1.6m sq ft of logistics space.

In March this year St Helens Council approved a ‘reserved matters’ planning application for 800,000 sq ft of logistics and industrial space in phase 1 of the project, costing around £80m. Phase 2 will cost considerably more.

In the latest application Parkside is seeking outline consent for up to three buildings to give it the flexibility to meet the needs of bespoke end-users.

In addition to more blue-chip logistics employers, consent is being specifically sought for manufacturing uses, adding a new dimension to the scheme’s job creation potential.

Detailed planning permission is also being sought for all aspects of site infrastructure, including roads, drainage and landscape design.

Further extensive public paths and exercise areas are proposed which, when linked with those in phase one, will see more than 4.5 km of landscaped trails available for use on what has been a closed site since 1957.

The public will be able to review the detailed proposals and supporting reports when they are published on St Helens Council’s planning portal, which is expected shortly.

John Downes, chairman of Parkside Regeneration and group chief executive of Langtree, said: “Our consultation identified natural concerns around issues such as noise, light and landscape mitigation.

“Our technical teams have put a huge amount of work into these issues to ensure that the scheme as proposed meets and exceeds wherever possible our regulatory obligations.

“We have worked hard to demonstrate the benefits in terms of environmental mitigation, job creation and supply chain engagement and look forward to putting our proposals before the planning committee for its scrutiny.”

Should this next application be approved, Parkside’s second phase is expected to add more than £100m a year to the borough’s economic output and generate £3.7m in new rateable income for investment in vital public services.

John Downes, group chief executive of property firm Langtree

Cllr Kate Groucutt, St Helens Council’s Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Leisure, added: “This next phase of the regeneration at Parkside will bring a wealth of opportunities to create high quality jobs for our residents.

Spawforths are the planning consultants for the scheme, with Curtins advising on highways and transport matters, Fletcher Rae the architects and TPM Landscape the landscape architects. Cundall are the structural and civil engineers.

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Parkside Colliery was operated by British Coal. It was opened in 1957 and closed in 1993 and was the last deep coal mine operating in what was known as the Lancashire Coalfield. 

Anne Scargill, the then wife of former National Union of Mineworkers president, Arthur Scargill, led a four-day occupy protest against the closure.